She smiled to him shyly; the compliment had touched her even though it had been a while since she had any illusions about her beauty. In fact, she no longer had any illusions about anything. During the war against the Feythas, when Satvia and Jergen left to lead their troop, she had been named queen to avoid any vacancy of power in the event of defeat. Since the two masters of the country returned, she became useless. And since only death could defeat a queen, she kept the title without the associated power. The constraints, however, remained.
As Satvia swung her leg over her horse’s neck, Deirane distinctly saw her jaws tighten and her lips twitch in pain. Tresej also noticed it, and his attitude changed immediately. His face expressed dismay. He reached out and took her by the arms.
“I
